Lost Humanity
by Lolieta19
Summary: After much frustration and many conflicting thoughts, Klaus finds that he is a slave to his human emotions after all. The enchanting and challenging Caroline Forbes appears to bring out his neglected humanity, but is it real and will it last?
1. Chapter 1

(Just_ a quick note, this is following episode 3x14, and is something that I really really want to happen between the two of them!)_

Chapter 1

That night, Caroline's subconscious flashed with a colourful montage of Klaus' face. She woke suddenly, with a start. Guilt overwhelmed her, coursing through her veins. There was Tyler, out fighting his own demons so he could come home to her and here she was, dreaming of the sociopathic hybrid who was responsible for them in the first place. Her half open eyes led her to the sketch from Klaus almost immediately. She'd abandoned it on her dressing table in the hope that it might disappear by morning, and prove that this was all a dream. Surely Klaus couldn't mean a single thing he'd said or done, it had to be a part of some wicked plan that he was forming, she was sure of it. Convincing her-self that this was the reality and nothing more, she fell back to sleep and slept soundlessly until early morning.

Klaus was conflicted, to say the least. He needed something to take his mind off his troubles, and quickly. He couldn't be weak, that wasn't a part of who he was, or at least who he thought he was. He made his way through the mansion, slamming doors as he did so. Elijah was sat elegantly on the arm of the sofa, watching him calmly and somewhat knowingly through his storm of fury. _Ignore him_, Klaus thought. Out of all of his siblings, Elijah understood him best. Elijah understood everybody. Secretly, Klaus envied this trait of his greatly, and resented Elijah for possessing it.

Out in the woods, Klaus exhaled deeply, lost in his conflicting thoughts. This was never meant to be a part of being the world's most invincible predator. He thought back to the advice he had once given Elijah; "love is a vampire's greatest weakness. And we are not weak, Elijah. We do not feel and we do not care." He was contradicting everything he believed in, everything in his very nature. He'd prove that he was not weak. A fox, startled by Klaus' sudden and inhumanly quick appearance, scurried away through the hedge. The fox had nothing to fear from Klaus tonight, his hunter instincts had focused on a larger and more vital prey. Caroline's house wasn't too far from here. He could get rid of his problem within the blink of an eye. Never would anyone call Klaus weak.

As soon as her house came into sight, Klaus felt his anger being stripped from him entirely. It was inevitable. He could almost feel her light and warm presence, even from afar. With every motion, another sadistic thought, another scheme of revenge, simply evaporated. In that moment he knew that he'd do everything in his power to protect Caroline Forbes. She was the only beam of light that had entered his life in a thousand years. He'd thought becoming a hybrid and creating his very own army of followers, would make him happy. The idea of more cast out, unwanted abominations like himself had comforted him, ebbing away slightly at the mass of loneliness that consumed him. After all that time spent hunting a lost moonstone and waiting for a doppelganger, he presumed that when he finally completed the ritual, he would be happy. The truth was; he didn't care about that anymore. The focus in his life was now met by obtaining the love of the challenging Caroline Forbes. Of course Klaus had pondered the idea of compelling her love, it would be simple. But simplicity is not what he wanted with her, he wanted to earn her love, for it to be real. He needed to be assured that he could be loved; specifically by the beauty that was Caroline. He would take her wherever she wanted to go, and be whoever she wanted him to be. Internally, he was conflicted. Never did he think that after all this time his neglected human side could find him once more.

The door creaked as he entered her exquisite palace. His breath was stolen by how beautiful she looked, even asleep. Her shimmering, golden hair was fanned out across the clean, white pillow. Honey against cream. He longed to probe her thoughts, to know what she was dreaming of, but resisted. He stole a glance at the portrait he had sketched of her just a few hours earlier, laid out across her dressing table and felt a surge of emotion towards her. She hadn't disposed of it. Still, it was going to take more than a creative portrait to convince Caroline that his thoughts and feelings of her were the truth. He didn't believe that she could ever love him, not after everything he'd done to her friends. She was right when she struck out at him; she called him up on issues he'd repressed. Issues he'd built a wall around, but there was no stopping her crashing through them. The beauty stirred in her sleep, her vampire senses warning her of a possible dangerous presence. The sun was rising by this point, and Klaus couldn't resist running his fingers gently over the creamy surface of her cheek. Her eyelids began to flutter.

Caroline experienced a rush of feelings as her eyes opened and she spotted Klaus standing above her. Her heart began to beat faster, which she simply put down to fear. Warmth, happiness and more guilt quickly followed this. Finally, she settled on confusion. His face was sculpted into a mocking smirk. He appeared different, somehow. Raising his eyebrow, he muttered gently; _"Good morning, Caroline." _  
She groaned and propped herself up in her bed. Her mind ached. She whispered slowly, carefully; _"What do you want, Klaus?"_  
Humour etched across his face, he replied; _"I told you last night, Caroline. I fancy you."  
_Her heart skipped a beat. She ignored it. _"Yeah, I'm not buying that. What part do I play in your plan, Klaus? Are you using me in an attempt to hurt Elena? Stefan?"_  
Hurt seemed to flash across his perfectly sculpted features. So quickly that she couldn't be sure if she saw it in the first place. _"Caroline, you're not part of any plan. You hold something over me that I can't control. If there's anything I need you to believe, it's that."_  
Warmth spread through Caroline, like rays of the brightest sunshine. It must have shown clearly on her face, as Klaus quickly reacted to it, his lips forming a slight, euphoric smile as he gently brushed a lock of her hair from her face. His fingers grazed against her skin, leaving a tingling feeling like the tiniest of electric shocks striking her cheek. He leant forward. Caroline's world was swallowed up in Klaus' handsome face.

Klaus couldn't comprehend the emotions that surfaced inside him in that moment. To see his own feelings of joy and passion echoed in Caroline's face was genuine beauty to him. In that moment, he felt that he had conquered everything in life. This is what it was all building up to. He noticed her reaction, and he gladly took it as an invitation. As he brushed the golden lock of hair from her flawless skin, he felt a shiver coarse through her. She physically reacted to him, whether she wanted to or not. He leant forward slowly, calculating her reactions as he did so. She didn't flinch away from him, nor did she attack him. Instead, she embraced him, sighing in surrender. She was like nothing he had ever experienced before. He leant his face down to hers, feeling the warmth of her angelic breath against his face. Gradually, his lips brushed hers. Softly, sweetly, passionately. All too soon, he felt something in her stance suddenly change. She became rigid, her response to him halted. He retrieved his lips from hers and pulled back to look at her.

_ Monster, _she thought. _He's a monster. _She didn't try to force him away from her, she wanted him to realise her anger on his own. As he pulled back, she saw such an innocence and a genuine joy in him that she'd never seen before, that she didn't think was even possible. Comprehension dawned on his face.  
_"No, Klaus. You hurt people, my friends; all you brought is blackness and pain into this town with you. Forgiveness is there to be earned, not to just be handed over." _She spoke calmly, yet her heart was racing, partly with fear of the consequence of her words, and partly something else.  
Menace flashed across his face, and for a second she thought he would kill her right there and then. She closed her eyes, preparing herself for the blow. Nothing came. Slowly, she raised her watery eyes to look at him. That sudden menace had faded away again, replaced with a look of gentle understanding.  
_"I'll earn your forgiveness." _He replied simply, gazing at her with the sweetest of looks, one that wasn't usually associated with someone like Klaus. Caroline blinked, and he was gone. She raised her fingers to feel the tingling sensation lingering on the lips that he had just kissed. Conflict, guilt and repression overwhelmed her. She was submerged in darkness.


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter Two

Caroline had no clear recollection of her journey to school; all she remembered was meeting Elena in the parking lot, and discussing the events of the night before. She was consumed with guilt, not 24 hours ago she had scolded Elena for not telling her about her kiss with Damon, and yet she was doing the exact same thing. She was the biggest of hypocrites, but it was different for her, Klaus was the bad guy after all. It would be an intensely huge understatement to claim that her friends would not understand. Anyway, who was Elena to judge? She'd forgiven, and even possibly fallen in love with Damon, who was also once the bad guy. If he could change and be forgiven, couldn't Klaus? She hated herself for even considering this, he'd hurt Elena. But hadn't Damon hurt Caroline back in his evil days, too? She couldn't help but feel this way, what was bubbling up inside of her was unpreventable and unstoppable.

As they reached their lockers, Elena stopped Caroline.  
_"Your turn to spill; what was with Klaus last night?" _Elena studied her, calculatingly.  
Caroline rearranged her face into confusion and replied in what she hoped was her usual, sarcastic manner; _"What do you mean? He asked me to go, I couldn't exactly say no. He is a vengeful hybrid, after all."  
"No, I meant the fact that he didn't try an ulterior motive. He was.. quiet. You were around him most of the evening; did he say anything unusual to you?" _Elena asked worriedly.  
_"What's unusual for Klaus? But if you mean anything unlike him, then no." _Yes, he did_,_ she added mentally. _"He was just his usual, mocking self." _  
Caroline opened her locker before Elena had a chance to reply, revealing a single, red rose lying amongst her school things. There was a note attached, but she didn't dare read it in front of Elena. She quickly attempted to hide the rose, but not before Elena had observantly spotted it.  
_"Caroline, who's that from? Not another secret admirer?" _She laughed, making a grab for the long, dewy stem. Freshly plucked, not bought, Caroline deduced. He must have come here immediately after he'd left her house. Lost in this wondrous train of thought, Caroline failed to notice that Elena had retrieved the note from her locker, and had it clasped firmly in her hand. Her pixie-like face was submerged in confusion. Caroline's stomach lurched violently, dread filling her entire being. A black haze spread through her mind. What could she say?  
_"Elena -" _She started, willing her friend to give her a chance to explain. Before she could finish, however, Elena erupted in a chorus of sweet sighs. She raised her deep brown, watery eyes to look at Caroline, but found herself gazing sweetly at the man standing just behind her. He reached over and kissed Caroline's cheek.  
_"Happy Valentine's Day." _His deep voice echoed. Caroline felt a rush of emotion as she turned and saw Tyler standing before her, his face lit up with anticipation and desperate yearning for her. Initial excitement and happiness was rapidly becoming replaced by a black, thunderous cloud of guilt. She hid her face in his shoulder as she wrapped her arms around him. She began laughing hysterically, in an attempt to conceal the disappointment that was quickly and ferociously cradling itself around her heart. She'd thought the rose was from Klaus.

Klaus arrived home in an almost dream-like state. He stole straight past his siblings without a glance, trying not to attract any of their unwanted attention. It wouldn't do any good for them to notice such a change in him; he couldn't let them know his weakness, now that he had one. Once safe in his room plastered with portraits and paintings, he let his mind wander and his angry features relax. He'd never felt such happiness, and it shone through his very being like the most colourful of rainbows. Everything about him appeared to be changing; his thirst for vengeance and violence, the way his thoughts worked and this was even his sketches. He glanced briefly at a few leafs of paper surrounding him, his own work. They were good, that much was obvious, but there was no flair in them. There was no passion beneath the pencil, no spark. Not like the sketch he'd drew of Caroline, at least. Whether it was due to her magnificent beauty or his art skills, or both combined, she almost shone goddess-like from the parchment. Klaus was convinced that every second of thought he had for the girl could render him to create a million of the most beautiful masterpieces. He knew that she loved Tyler, and not him, but he couldn't put a stop to his hope. It consumed him, eating away at his mind.

He heard Rebekah approaching before he saw her. Rearranging his face into its old bitter, mocking sculpture, he turned as she entered. He gazed at her for a moment, lost in the nostalgia of the days when he could talk to her properly, honestly. Their motto, _"always and forever" _certainly didn't seem to apply anymore. It was his own doing, he knew that, but he yearned for his siblings to look beneath the surface of his actions, and understand the reasons why he had taken them initially.  
_"You seem different, Nick. Less angry." _Rebekah noted, framed in the open doorway. _"Is there something that you're not telling your little sister?" _Her face turned into a patronising smirk, and her silhouette became cocky. Klaus suddenly felt the anger bubble up inside him again. _Good, it would make his act more believable,_ he thought, his nostrils beginning to flare.

_"Rebekah, if I wanted to __**bond **__I would have retrieved the dagger from your heart a long time ago." _He snarled viciously, emphasising the word _bond _mockingly. The less humanity he showed with his siblings, the better, especially the calculating, scheming Rebekah.  
She shrugged half-heartedly, replying; _"Just asking, Nick. Mind that temper of yours." _She stole from his sanctuary without a backwards glance. He couldn't worry about her for the moment; his mind was still caught up with his morning.

While he was influenced so, Klaus began to sketch various portraits of Caroline. He began with her face, scrunched into a sculpture of pure ecstasy, just as it had been when he leant in to kiss her softly. He lingered lovingly on her eyes, shaping them into the realistic almond-shaped pools of awe that he had grown to love so. They stared up at him from the parchment, innocent yet observing. She was like the most thunderous of storms, and the loss of her would surely shake his world in a tumultuous earthquake. Emotion etched across every line on his face and every thought in his mind, Klaus failed to notice Rebekah had returned to the doorway, watching him closely.


	3. Chapter 3

_Thank you so much for your reviews so far! I've tried to take into account any advice I've received and hope you continue to enjoy it :)_

Rebekah marched away from the a-jar doorway, her mind racing with malevolent thoughts. She had two options. The first; to keep what she had just witnessed a secret; after all, Klaus was still her family, the second; to use Caroline in an attempt to influence her brother. She was quite clearly his weakness. In a thousand years Rebekah had never once witnessed Klaus draw anyone who didn't mean _something _to him. She sat in the parlour, and began to devise a plan.

Unusual things were taking place that morning. Klaus was noticing the beauty in things that he'd never fully appreciated before. Just outside the window, a small robin sat perched on the frayed, dewy twigs of an elm tree, tweeting chirpily. The sun was rising to its highest point in the clear sky, casting everything below into a bright, shimmering glow. In that moment, he was certain that the beauty in the world was paralleling itself with his mood. It gave him the powerful desire to see her. Caroline had made it clear that she wasn't going to be easily seduced by him, at least not with expensive gifts and conventional romance. However, she seemed unknowingly, yet blissfully joyous when he had spontaneously visited her. With that in his favour, a sudden and irrevocable desire to see her planted itself in his mind and grew there ferociously, until his resistance became futile.

Caroline spent the morning with Tyler, revelling in him and his return to Mystic Falls. He was undeniably beautiful, inside and out. It only made her feel conflicted even more so. She struggled to balance her love for him and her sudden, consuming feelings for Klaus. Should she tell Tyler? It would be the honest thing to do, but perhaps unkind. Tyler had tried his very hardest to sever the sire bond between him and Klaus, and may have even succeeded. To tell him now that she had struck up a friendship with the hybrid who was the reason he had to leave her initially, would cause the earth to shatter around him. So, she kept the thoughts to herself, repressing them and focusing on the happiness that had succumbed to her the moment she saw Tyler. Her happiness was short-lived, however, when she spotted Klaus standing some distance away behind Tyler's shoulder. She started, jumping up and uttering a random excuse in an attempt to shoo Tyler before he spotted Klaus and grew suspicious.

_"Tyler, I'm so sorry but I've got to go to History class. You know Alaric." _She stammered unconvincingly. She was uncertain of what she was even saying, _you know Alaric_? What did that even mean? She scolded herself, awaiting his reply anxiously. Tyler seemed to buy it, however, giving her a quick kiss as he past her to make his way to class. Caroline exhaled in relief, and glanced upwards to locate the source of her unsteadiness. He was gone, a pile of crispy brown leaves lying scattered and disturbed where he had just stood a few seconds previously. She needed to find him, immediately.

Klaus returned home in hellish torment. He had presumed that Tyler and Caroline's relationship would be severed because of him, but it seemed that that assumption had been in vain. Caroline still loved Tyler, not him, and he had been an utter fool to think otherwise. Who could love him? Nobody had in a thousand years, and they weren't about to start now. He was a monster and always had been, so why stop and try to change now? Nobody could be his salvation. Loneliness and disappointment consumed his entire being, the darkness pushing out the light. With the bitter anger and loneliness came his hybrid instincts. He wanted to feed, to rip and destroy. As he made his way to the door, a silhouette shifted outside. Hope yielding to him once again, he opened the door in one quick motion, almost tearing it from its hinges. Caroline stood at his door, framed beautifully by the sunlight behind her, and gazed at him with a fierce yearning.

Klaus stared at her, pouting slightly, attempting to convey the need for her to speak first in his dark, hypnotising eyes. She failed to, however, and continued to gaze at him. Her chest heaved heavily, and he sensed that she was unsure with her decision to come here. Trying his utmost to relieve her tension, he repressed his anger and motioned towards the mansion for her to enter. She marched straight towards him, stopping suddenly not 5 inches from his face. He felt her breath hot against his cheek, and felt his loneliness subsiding. Her already rosy cheeks reddened as she stroked his cheek gently with the back of her soft, reassuring hand. Her touch electrified through him, causing him to jump slightly. He wasn't used to not being in control of a situation.

"_Caroline.." _he began, but she raised a finger to his lips to shush him, and left it lingering there for a second or two.  
_"I love Tyler." _She began, and if his heart was still beating, he knew it would stop right there and then. He looked down, attempting to conceal his unending sadness, but she raised his head with her fingers, forcing him to look in her crystal blue eyes as she continued;_ "Whatever this is between me and you, I don't want it. I don't want to feel things for you, Klaus, and yet I do." _ She attempted to shrug in a non-chalant manner, but the guilt when she mentioned Tyler's name lingered in her eyes like a parasite to him.  
Ignoring this, Klaus replied in a gentle voice; _"What do you feel, sweetheart?" _  
With this, a firm decision formed in her eyes, leaning forward; she softly pressing her lips against his, only for a second. The moment only lasted briefly, and yet Klaus kept his eyes closed, revelling in the joy that overcame him in that moment. She had kissed him, of her own accord. He hadn't compelled her, threatened her or forced her to do so. He opened his eyes slowly, but she had already gone.


	4. Chapter 4

Klaus wavered, rocking unintentionally until his thoughts slowly returned to him. He'd been standing statue-like in the very same spot that Caroline had left him over thirty minutes ago. In those thirty minutes, he'd been a slave to his senses, senses that were so strong they threatened to engulf him. His fingers twitched, yearning to feel the gentle, clear-complexioned surface of Caroline's creamy skin. The sound of her breathing so near to him lingered. His lips remained slightly pouted and tingled teasingly from her last kiss, her voluntary kiss. He concentrated on the sensation that she had given him with that sweet kiss nostalgically, realising that he missed it already, missed her. His eyes willed him to conjure up the image of her; her beauty was a genuine treat to his sight. His nostrils flared as he remembered her scent; sensationally fruity and inviting. She awoke his senses, reminding him that there was something he had to live for.

Caroline sped home. She was due to meet Tyler in half an hour and she needed to calm down before he suspected that anything was wrong. It hurt her to admit it but she was attracted to Klaus in ways that she couldn't resist. Perhaps this was the way Elena felt about Damon. She didn't want to be like Elena; torn between two men, nor did she wish to hurt either one of them. She succumbed to the fresh guilt that was crawling it's way slowly and heavily into her mind. Not only had she cheated on Tyler, she had also acted a hypocrite. Who was she to be so judgemental of Elena's actions when she was doing the exact same herself? She had no right.

Fumbling with her house keys, Caroline noticed Tyler leaning idly against her doorframe. He was early. She started, the keys slipping through her sensitised fingers and cascading to the ground. She saw a hand reach out and grab the keys lazily before the clashed to the concrete. She took a deep breath, and raised her eyes to look at him. Tyler was grinning at her sheepishly, and she forced a coy smile back at him.  
_"You're early." _She acknowledged.  
_"Yeah, well I thought you'd be home by now. Where have you been?" _He asked, watching her intently. His eyes appeared surveying, as though he was attempting to x-ray her.  
_"Stopped off at the Grill, that's all." _She muttered glumly. She hated lying to him.  
_"Care, what's wrong? You've barely said a word since I've been back. I thought you'd be siked." _She was hurting him in spite of herself. Wrapping her arms around him, she mumbled sweet reassurances into his ear, forcing herself to be chirpy.

"_I'll just be a minute or two." _Caroline yelled on her way from her bedroom, leaving Tyler standing there awkwardly. Unable to resist, Tyler helped himself to looking around her room, devouring with his eyes all of the things that make her who she is. He let his finger run along the charm bracelet he had given her on her bedside table. It lay next to a diamond bracelet which he assumed was from her mom. He continued to let his eyes drift around the room, spotting a sketch of Caroline on her dressing table. Intrigued by the identity of the talented artist, he approached it slowly. Disbelief overrode his curiosity as he saw the words scrawled across the bottom of the parchment. _'Thanks for your honesty, Klaus.' _He breathed in sharp, shallow breaths, trying to make sense of what he had just observed. He refused to let his instincts be correct. Klaus didn't feel, and he didn't love. He knew there must be another reason for this, and he intended to find out what it was. He pondered the idea of asking Caroline about it, but as he found himself staring at the diamond bracelet once again, the pieces clicked into place. Of course it was from Klaus. Surely Caroline would realise that he was using her? No, she must think he really loves her; he realised, otherwise she would have told Tyler about the whole situation immediately. Tyler struck out at the bracelet violently, sending her lamp cascading to the wooden floor. His anger consuming him, Tyler quickly disappeared through the window before Caroline returned.

Caroline was in the bathroom, taking a moment to gather her thoughts and calm down when she heard a clattering sound from her bedroom. She quickly entered and stepped onto one of the many shards of glass that had scattered away from her fallen lamp. Tyler was nowhere to be seen. Confused, she gazed out of the window for a moment, presuming that he was playing some sort of trick on her. She then spotted the sketch from Klaus on her bed, some 2 metres away from where it had been. He'd seen it; of course he'd seen it. It was her fault. How could she have been so stupid and forgotten to hide it? She made a motion to grab her phone but was stopped suddenly by a large, strong hand grasping her wrist. Klaus stood in her room for the fourth time, a playful smile forming on his lips.

"_Caroline…" _He began, smirking; _"Tyler won't do anything. He's sired to me, remember?"_ He almost laughed as he stated it, as though he was daring Tyler to even try and hurt him. Caroline hated him in that moment. Her hate quickly subsided, however, as his fingers trailed themselves up and down her arm, creating reassuring patterns. His eyes were glazed over, gazing at her dreamily. He _was _handsome. The dim light of dusk fell flatteringly over his features, darkening them. His eyebrows were raised slightly on his sculptured face as he looked at her, devoured her. His rosy, soft-looking lips smiled knowingly, and it wasn't the first time Caroline had felt like he had the ability to read her mind.

Tyler sped with aim through the woods at inhuman speed. Anger tore at his heart and provoked him into following through with his violent intentions. Klaus' mansion was coming into sight, and Tyler sped even faster towards the oak brown door. That was where the monster hid. He wasn't grateful to Klaus for 'saving' him anymore. He was vengeful.

Rebekah and Elijah were discussing their mother and her intentions when they heard a deafening bang on the front door. Rebekah looked at Elijah uncertainly, but ventured to open the door anyway. What could kill an Original that knocked on the door, after all?  
With this confidence, anger bubbled inside her. She wrenched open the door, intending to feed on whatever inconsiderate human it was disturbing them, but Tyler stood in front of her, quite obviously shaking with anger.

"_Where's Klaus?" _He spat bitterly. 


	5. Chapter 5

_Hi! I've set this chapter out a little differently to my previous ones, hopefully this will make it easier to read for you. It's also longer, hope you enjoy!_

* * *

Only 30 seconds had passed, and yet when Caroline finally uttered a word it felt like hours had gone by, allowing her and Klaus to simply gaze at one another, utterly undisturbed.

"_You shouldn't be here, Klaus." _Caroline muttered icily, succumbing to her growing despair.

Hurt flashed across Klaus' face quickly, visible only to Caroline by her vampire senses. Before she could acknowledge it, he had recomposed himself, arranging his face back into a wall of calm. The sadness in his watery eyes lingered, however.  
"_Where else should I be?" _His words and intent gaze conveyed such innocence and intense emotion that Caroline found tears forming in her eyes. She would not be sad, she'd brought this reaction on herself and now here was the consequence.

"_Caroline, let me take you somewhere." _He continued, taking advantage of her silence. The amount of passion in his gaze sent electric shocks through her body, drawing her to unknowingly move closer to him. Their two bodies were like the strongest of magnets, the chemistry and attraction was too strong for her to even attempt to resist it, and she found herself not desiring to even try.

Caroline took a moment to think about his offer uncertainly. If Tyler found out, it would surely push him over the edge. But Klaus _was _good. She knew it was naïve of her to think that after the torment he had brought into Mystic Falls, and yet she felt and _knew_, to the bottom of her heart, that it was true. She found herself wondering how _this_ Klaus, _her_ Klaus, could have possibly committed the monstrous acts that he had. There were two extremely different sides to him, and Caroline appeared to be the edge of the blade on which he balanced. If he lost her, he would surely be provoked into resuming his act as the bitter and vengeful villain. That's what it was; an act.

Klaus misunderstood her silence for a refusal, and charmingly attempted to persuade her.  
_"Only for one evening; just while Tyler calms down." _He whispered, suddenly chuckling in spite of himself. _"I promise I won't kidnap you, if that's what you're worried about." _

She smiled sheepishly back at him, attempting to disguise the irregular beat of her heart. How foolish he was. She could never be kidnapped by Klaus, as long as she wished to be wherever he was. Just the two of them, alone some place. At the ball, he _had _told her he would take her anywhere. She found herself revelling in the idea of leaving Mystic Falls with Klaus, but pushed the feelings aside. They were getting more and more difficult to repress.

He was watching her intently, eagerness clear on his features. His stance was desperate; as though the moment Caroline consented he would whisk her from the room. Caroline squashed down the feelings bubbling inside of her, and whispered; _"I don't think that's such a great idea, Klaus."  
_She lowered her eyes guiltily to stare at the fidgety hands in her lap. He drew in a deep breath, as though bracing himself for a challenge. He spoke in the most gentle and passionate of voices, tilting her head up slightly to make eye contact with her. His fingers trailed her jaw line, causing her to release an involuntary shiver. He smirked. _"Caroline, let __me do this. Let me show you my good side, my human side. Just spend one evening with me, and I promise you'll be glad you agreed."_

Caroline was fighting a losing battle. The aweing determination in his eyes was irresistible to her, and she found herself nodding her head in consent. Where was the brash, haughty Caroline from the ball? It seemed Klaus had succeeded in charming her, and now she was just like every one of his successions.

"_You're still unsure about the truth of my feelings, aren't you?" _He smiled sadly. _"I know I have a lot to compensate for, but how can I make you realise that you are the only person I see? The only person I will ever want to see?" _

Her breath came quicker; palms beginning to sweat. She knew how good a deceiver Klaus was, but he had a point. How could she think the way he felt about her was a lie when the truth lay so clear in his eyes? He hadn't compelled her, either. That would have made things much easier for him. She finally realised that he wanted to _earn _her love, to deserve it.

A wild smile flashed across her face as she finally succumbed wholly to her feelings for him. It was reflected in his handsome face.  
"_So, where are we going?" _She asked excitedly.

* * *

"_You heard me. I asked; where is Klaus?" _Tyler repeated venomously to a silent Rebekah. He could see the debate on her face, as though she was deciding something. Calm restored her features, and she replied softly; _"He's not here, Tyler. What do you want?" _

Tyler knew immediately that she was lying. Of course she was going to lie, no matter what the Original family did to one another, it didn't matter; _they were family. _  
_"I want to know what is going on between him and Caroline." _He insisted, forcing his way through the door.

Rebekah's hand quickly clasped him around the throat, pinning him against the front door. His feet dangled a foot above the floor. It didn't hurt him, but he couldn't move an inch. She was far too strong.

"_Don't you dare come in here and act like you own the place. I told you; Klaus isn't here. And as for what is going on between him and Caroline, don't make me laugh. You must realise Klaus only uses people, and I don't doubt your precious Caroline will be dead by the end of the week." _She laughed bitterly, and threw him out of the house.

Once she had her back to the door, she inhaled sharply. She realised that she cared about her brother, after all. He was her family.

* * *

Klaus and Caroline were walking through the most beautiful of parks. She didn't know where exactly they were, all she knew and all she needed to know was that she was with him. She felt him stealing glances at her through the corner of her eye and embraced the warm feeling it gave her, smiling to herself sweetly.

"_So; why a park?" _She asked curiously, stopping to watch him as he answered.

He pondered his answer carefully for a moment. He had initially considered taking her on a boat, his boat to be precise, but Caroline had made it clear that she was much fonder of ideas that spammed from the heart, rather than the wallet.  
He chose his reply, answering simply; _"It's naturally beautiful, just like you." _

She chuckled sheepishly, but he knew it was not with malicious intent. She was flattered. She averted her eyes shyly, observing the park around her.  
She was so damn beautiful that it hurt him, and in that moment, watching her, he knew that he loved her deeply.  
_"Hey, Klaus-" _She began, turning towards him once more. She was muted immediately when witnessing the look on his face. It was a look of heart-breaking vulnerability.  
_"What?" _She asked worriedly, watching him intently. He was most definitely keeping his promise of showing her his human side so far this evening, she thought.  
He cupped his hands around her face and willed her to understand how truly important she was to him.

_"It's been a thousand years since I've experienced love. If you're going to hurt me, please just do it now." _He muttered slowly, intensely, lowering his head. It was Caroline who raised his head to look at her this time, smiling sadly. She wrapped her arms around him, embracing him tightly. She breathed him in, letting his musky, hypnotising scent flood her nostrils. She felt her knees weaken slightly as his fingers wound themselves through her hair, where her hand caught his and interlocked their fingers as one.  
_"You don't have to worry about that Klaus, okay? I'm just as trapped as you are." _She whispered lovingly into his ear, and felt his indrawn breath as she trailed her lips gently from his ear to the corner of his lips, where she hesitated.

They stayed there a moment or two, connected as one in body and mind. He felt her gentle breath against his cheek, her fingers willingly interlocked with his and her body circling him. It awoke feelings inside him that he thought he'd lost millennia ago. He brought his lips to hers eagerly, embracing her. Her golden hair tickled his cheek softly, and he kissed her harder still, pulling her even closer to him. She whimpered in surrender, moulding herself to him.

It was in that moment that Caroline finally admitted to herself what she had been repressing for so long. She was falling for Klaus, and he had already fallen deeper than he could have ever imagined or thought possible.

* * *

_If you've read this and liked it or want to offer any advice, please review. I appreciate each and every one :) _

_I can't seem to stop updating this story so there will be another chapter very soon!  
_


	6. Chapter 6

Klaus' eyes raked over Caroline, waiting for her to speak, to say anything. The intensity in his gaze was unnerving; she didn't think she would ever get used to it. The sun was setting now, casting a dim, flattering light stretching over Mystic Falls. Klaus' mind could not rest; he needed her to say how she felt, to hear the words. He knew how he felt, and it consumed him. He could not keep it to himself; he wanted to share it with her, to revel in these newfound feelings. Kissing Caroline was incredible, sweeter than the sweetest blood he had ever tasted. The softness of her rosy lips against his was like the gentle petals of a rose caressing him. She might be a vampire, but he still thought of her as fragile.

"_You look worried, love." _Klaus' voice finally echoed; his eagerness for conversation urgent.

"_I am. You wouldn't understand." _She murmured sadly, shaking her head.

His eyebrows furrowed, knitting together. Caroline had told him that he didn't try to understand people's problems; that he couldn't empathise. Maybe this was his time to try.

"_Try me, you could be surprised." _He sent a charming smile in her direction.

Caroline stared at him in disbelief. _"You want to hear about my problems?"_

"_I want to hear you speak. I want to talk about you." _He answered simply. Caroline laughed heartily, how he loved to hear that laugh. It resembled a set of the most beautifully pitched bells. He did not laugh, but continued to gaze at her, willing her to confide in him.

"_Okay, here goes. I'm worried about how to keep this thing that's going on between us from my friends. They won't exactly be… welcoming of you." _She frowned, perplexed.

"_They don't need to be, as long as you are." _He bared his pearly white teeth, smiling at her.

"_Klaus, I've risked everything for these moments with you. Don't ask me why, because I'm not even sure why, or what this means. All I know is that I love being with you." _She diverted her eyes from his face and glanced around coyly.

"_Don't be embarrassed, love." _He chuckled, in attempt to put her at ease. Inside his chest, his dead heart seemed to warm. He couldn't remember the last time anybody had associated the word "love" with himself. The sky around them was darkening, but Caroline still shone through it like the brightest of stars. He wanted her, as his and his alone. He desired her in ways that he thought were dead to him. It was only now that he realised the love and emotion in his heart had not disappeared with his transformation, but had simply been neglected and un-nurtured. Caroline had appeared like a comet, lighting up his life and soul, igniting things inside him that he thought were lost. He couldn't remember what love felt like, and yet he knew that he was in love with Caroline. He knew his caring and love could result in both him and her being killed, but he didn't care. If he was going to die, he could think of no better reason to. Love really had altered him.

He took Caroline's hand spontaneously, and gently tugged her along with him. Excitement flowed through his veins, causing him to feel energised for the first time in years. There was a lake nearby, and rowing boats, too. It seemed the exact kind of thing that Caroline would enjoy, and their evening was almost coming to an end. It was truly a beautiful lake, hidden by trees and shrubbery. Once gliding across the calmness of the lake, beautiful views of flower gardens and wildflowers surrounded, isolating anyone who rode it from what seemed like the entire world.

"_Where are we going?" _Caroline asked nervously, shocking him out of his reverie.

"_Wait and see" _he smiled, struck with a sudden idea. Stopping sharply, he turned so he was right behind her. He wrapped his arms slowly around her waist, cradling her in his strong, protective arms. Her body seemed rigid at first, rejecting his touch. Leaning into her ear, he whispered; _"close your eyes, sweetheart." _She did so, and leant back against him. He was certain that they could have stayed, stuck in that moment and that position for ever, undisturbed and isolated in their own perfect euphoria. The moon glowed down upon them now, huge and bright in the blackening night sky. Klaus breathed in the fresh, fruity scent of her, it was as necessary as blood to his life source now.

Reluctantly, too soon, Klaus severed their touch. Spinning her around to his side; he grasped her hand once more, leading her through a human sized gap in the hedge.  
_"Keep them closed." _He warned.  
Emerging on the other side of the hedge, Klaus whisked her up in his arms with ease. Caroline gasped, not expecting the spontaneity of the motion. He led her to a wooden structured rowing boat, gently lowering her into one of the seats. She must sense where they were by this point, he thought. The dark lake bubbled and flowed loudly, even a human could hear it. Still, Caroline kept quiet and secured her eyes closed. The truth was, she was so content in that moment that she never wanted it to end. She could sense Klaus' presence all around her, and it sent electric waving through her body like wildfire.

Once Klaus had severed the rope between the bank and the boat, he sped into the boat like a magnet, not relaxing until he was sat opposite her. He gazed at her for a moment. Her eyes were still closed, and she sat erectly. She was putting her trust in him, and once again he felt warmth spread from his heart through his body. He began rowing with ease, his immense strength making it as simple as raising a finger. He rowed until they reached the middle of the lake, glancing around before he showed it to her. He was nothing if not a perfectionist.

Suddenly, unexpectedly, Caroline felt Klaus' hot breath against her ear as he whispered gently; _"Open your eyes, Caroline."_

* * *

_This chapter is quite a short one, but the next one will be much longer and up in a few days :)_


	7. Chapter 7

_This chapter is the longest I've completed so far, as the plot is taking a more exciting turn. Hope you enjoy!_

* * *

Caroline's eyes fluttered open expectantly. A gasp escaped her rosy lips. The landscape that met her gaze was mesmerising, it was as though she'd landed on her and Klaus' very own private island. She struggled for words, not knowing how to translate the beauty that was filling her senses into coherent speech. She was sitting in a frail, wooden rowing boat, her posterior still slightly on edge. Wildflowers sprung out from the banks around her in all directions in an array of bright, florescent shades. She'd never known such tranquillity.

"_Klaus.. wow" _she stammered, stealing a quick glance at his face. He looked almost as beautiful as the setting surrounding her, bathed in the sweet glow of the moonlight.

"_Do you like it?" _he asked, already knowing her answer. He had learnt so much about Caroline in such a short period of time. Klaus prided himself in the conquering of this, Caroline wasn't exactly what you would call an "open book". There were layers to her that one had to earn their way through.

"_I've never seen anything so beautiful." _She replied simply. The water was calm underneath them, flowing serenely and offering a therapeutic hum to her over-sensitized eardrums.

Klaus was gazing at her. _"Neither have I." _

Caroline stifled the sudden urge to giggle. It was difficult to believe that the night of the ball was only a few nights ago, and how much had happened since. She'd given into her feelings for him so quickly, and yet it seemed like a lifetime. It was as though this is what she had been waiting for all this time, she'd never particularly felt fulfilled until now.  
She felt warm arms wrap around her waist, Klaus was at her side. She leant against him and sighed happily. He stroked her hair so softly, tickling her, and gently kissed the top of her head. Caroline felt all of her worries, ties and problems simply float away. It was impossible to feel pain or hurt here, not surrounded by this beauty. And yet midnight was drawing ever closer, and Caroline's mother was the Sheriff, after all. She needed to avoid unwanted attention and questions that would lead her mother closer to the truth.

Caroline sighed; _"I could stay here forever." _She half-wanted to make these words a reality.

"_Then let's." _He smiled, willing her to take him up on his offer. He could think of no better way to spend eternity.

"_You make this so hard!" _She moaned, half-laughing; _"We have to go. I have to go." _

Klaus obeyed immediately, untangling himself from the embrace that they had caught themselves in. He took his position back opposite her, and began to row once more. Caroline felt the warmth of his touch leave her and attempted to repress a shudder of withdrawal. They'd become so attached so quickly, so passionately that it frightened her. Once they were out of that wonderful, picturesque setting, Caroline could not prevent the worries enveloping her mind. If her friends found out about this, they would not understand; there was no question about it. None of them had seen even a glimpse of the goodness that Caroline had experienced so deeply. Tyler would never forgive her, and she was sure he'd end up dead if he tried to take vengeance against Klaus. Klaus' family would also use her in a bid to sabotage him, she was certain. There was no other option, then; if she and Klaus wanted to continue whatever it was that was going on between them, they'd have to abandon their lives in Mystic Falls. She took Klaus' awaiting hand that led her back to solid ground, and glanced at him wonderingly. If she did this, if she left with him, she'd be giving up her entire life here. Yet Tyler, Elena, Bonnie, Damon and Stefan would all be safe. If she just left with him even for a little while, she was sure that Klaus' evil side would vanish entirely. She looked at Klaus once more, a decision forming plainly in her mind. She began to voice her proposal aloud, and everything changed in his countenance.

* * *

"_Elena, its Sheriff Forbes. Listen, Caroline didn't come home last night. She left a note saying she was leaving for a while but that's it. No clue as to where she's gone or who with. If she has mentioned anything to you about this, please tell me immediately. I'm worried about her, Elena. Call me as soon as you get this." _

Elena keyed the 'end call' button on her cell in disbelief. Caroline would never leave Mystic Falls without telling anybody, something serious must have happened. She called Caroline's cell immediately; there was no reception. Elena had the terrifying suspicion that she had already gone, and far.

After calling back Sheriff Forbes, Elena paced around her kitchen. Unrealistic and improbable ideas were running through her mind; did Caroline and Tyler leave in an attempt to sever Tyler's sire bond to Klaus? Maybe, but Elena was certain that Caroline would have at least told her before doing so. A sudden idea sprang to her alert mind; she could ask Bonnie to do a simple locator spell. As she began to dial Bonnie's number, the doorbell rang.

Elena opened the door and gasped. Rebekah stood there, anger quite clearly reverberating from her. Elena attempted to slam the door shut once more, but Rebekah was too strong. She forced Elena's hand back as the door swung wide open.

"_Now, I know I haven't been invited in so I'm quite happy to wait here until I can snap your pretty little white neck. But first things first; what have you and your boyfriends done with Klaus?" _Rebekah seemed genuinely worried about her brother, and Elena assumed that they had reconciled their relationship.

Elena exhaled impatiently; _"What are you talking about? I don't have time for this. I have my own friend to find." _She tried to shut the door again, but Rebekah held it there once more.

"_Not that bimbo Caroline?" _She asked, eyes flaring with sudden suspicion.

"_What do you know about Caroline going missing?" _Elena asked promptly.

"_You figure it out." _Rebekah replied and marched away from the Gilbert household. Elena stood in the doorway, thinking. Klaus and Caroline both disappearing at the same time was too much of a coincidence. He had taken her; she realised, and ran to call Damon immediately, slipping on the wooden floor of her home as she rushed.

* * *

Rebekah held the phone to her ear, talking animatedly; _"He's fine Elijah. He's left with that vampire Caroline." _A hum from the other end of the line ensued. _"I can't explain how I know right now, look, I'll fill you in later. I'm on my way back. We'll find him Elijah, he started this war, and it's his responsibility to finish it."_ She snapped her cell shut sharply. Truth be told, Rebekah did not care about any "war" in Mystic Falls in that moment. She was extremely hurt by her brother's actions. He'd never abandoned her before, not like this, they'd always been together over the years, even if she had had a stake in her heart for a century of them. This Caroline had entered her life and ruined everything; from her first day in Mystic Falls she knew she'd be a problem. She saw herself as a human in Caroline, which was part of the reason she had envied her life so manically.

* * *

"_Damon; it's Elena. Klaus has taken Caroline." _She rushed frantically. A muffled exclamation sounded from the other end of the line. _"We need to find Bonnie, and ask her to do a locator spell. It's Caroline, Damon." _Elena hung up the phone, her thoughts reeling. It didn't make sense, why would Klaus take Caroline? He had everything he wanted right here in Mystic Falls, there was no ulterior motive for him to leave with her. Unless, Elena thought, she had noticed Klaus spending as much as time as were possible with Caroline at the ball. Perhaps he had fallen for her and kidnapped her? Elena shuddered at the thought; Klaus couldn't and did not feel. That was improbable. Then she remembered, Caroline had left a goodbye note. None of it matched up.

Bonnie, Damon, Stefan, Elena and Sheriff Forbes were gathered in the classroom of Alaric Saltzman. In that moment he entered quickly, slamming the door behind him.

"_We have ten minutes, guys." _He announced, joining the group gathered around a single desk. There, spread across the desk, lay a map of the world. Klaus thought big, and it was unlikely that he'd stay in any of the surrounding areas of Mystic Falls if it was true and he had kidnapped Caroline.

Bonnie made eye contact with Sheriff Forbes, raising a small, yet sharp envelope blade, and waited for her to offer her hand.

_"I'm sorry I have to do this, but you're mother and daughter. The connection will be stronger." _She explained. The sheriff approached Bonnie and held her hand above the map, palm facing upwards.  
_"I understand." _She rushed. She appeared agitated, and the purple around her eyes was a tell-tale sign that the Sheriff had not gotten any sleep the previous night. She must have been waiting on hand should Caroline need her for anything, Elena realised sadly.

As the blade cut a small, yet deep cut into the Sheriff's palm, Stefan and Damon moved slightly, uncomfortably. Elena gave Stefan a warning glance, but there was no need, he had recomposed himself as she made eye contact with him. She had no time to think about that at the moment, however.  
_"Here." _Bonnie muttered, directing Sheriff Forbes' hand upside down, allowing the blood to drop in large beads onto the map directly below. Bonnie began uttering a spell animatedly in the bizarre witchy dialect. The flames dancing in the candles around her grew rapidly and danced wildly. It was working. The blood formed into a large red clump and travelled along the map. Elena's eyes darted around the group as it did so. The Sheriff was watching the blood's journey intensely, whilst Damon and Stefan appeared lost in thought over by Alaric's desk. Their eyebrows were furrowed together in their confused and stressed state, and Elena remarked mentally how alike they looked in that moment. It was the first time she'd really noticed their resemblance as brother's in their appearance.

Elena's reverie was interrupted by a sudden quietness. The group were staring at the map in disbelief. Bonnie's voice quivered; _"She's there." _And Elena's eyes darted towards the map in the direction of Bonnie's finger. The blood had formed around Italy, Rome specifically.

Damon's voice echoed emphatically and disbelievingly through the classroom; _"She's in Rome?" _

The classroom door opened with a loud slam. Elena moved automatically to hide the map and its contents from view, but it was just Tyler. He glanced around the group before muttering; _"They're in Rome, Klaus and Caroline. And he didn't kidnap her, if that's what you were thinking." _He diverted his eyes to the ground, but there was no mistaking the sullen and despairing tone of his voice.

"_She wouldn't have willingly gone with him, Tyler!" _Bonnie exclaimed. Elena agreed with her, the Caroline that they had known all of their life would not have abandoned them and left for another country with a psychotic hybrid. There was no possible chance.

"_Oh, yes she would, and believe me, she did." _Tyler murmured, staring intently at each of them. He launched into an explanation of everything that he'd seen and made connections of since the ball, and each face in the room turned to an expression of utmost horror and convulsion at his speech. This could not be happening, Elena thought, the darkness of disbelief consuming her. She yielded to it gladly, after all, it was much more preferable than accepting the terrifying reality of the situation.


	8. Chapter 8

As soon as the suggestion of leaving had escaped Caroline's lips, she noticed Klaus' countenance change dramatically. His stance turned rigid, his breathing quickened and his eyes seemed to burn into her. She knew how much she meant to him now, and she hoped that her friends would understand why she had left when they eventually realised her and Klaus had both disappeared. She didn't want to think of the revenge that Klaus might resort to if he lost her. Caroline did care deeply for him, she'd admitted that to herself now, but she knew Klaus hadn't _really _changed. He cared deeply, passionately and intensely, but all of that transformed into rage and betrayal when he was disappointed. She wasn't sure she'd be an exception to that. All Caroline knew was that she needed to be with him, needed to explore him and learn about him for herself. She had to take the leap.

Klaus' stare softened into an admiring gaze. He felt euphoric. Nobody had ever cared so much to willingly leave their hometown with him, and he hadn't even been the one to ask. It had been her suggestion, her choice, her own desire. A smile erupted across his face as he pulled her into him, relishing in the moment before he recomposed himself.  
_"Are you sure about this, Caroline?" _He asked reluctantly, he had to make sure.  
Am I sure? Caroline thought to herself. Her eyes raked over his features, it was clear that he was desperately attempting to cover the happiness that had overcome him. She smiled secretly to herself, she knew she shouldn't feel this way but she loved being the one responsible for that smile, that euphoria. It lit her up. That was all she needed to know.  
_"Yes Klaus, I'm sure." _She whispered, and suddenly his arms were around her, cradling her to him. She breathed in his musky, comforting scent and felt herself succumb once more.

* * *

Outside Caroline's house, Klaus gripped her arm gently, preventing her entry.  
_"Hurry" _He urged. His desire to leave Mystic Falls was as apparent as it was desperate. Caroline had told Klaus that she needed to leave a letter for her mom, and it was true. She couldn't leave without saying goodbye, not after the beliefs her mom had given up for her.  
_"I won't be a moment." _She whispered, and kissed him gently on the cheek.  
Once Caroline was inside, she exhaled nervously. This really wasn't like her, and yet she somehow knew instinctively that it was what she wanted. It seemed to be beyond her control entirely. If she hadn't been drinking vervain, she would be almost certain that she had been compelled. But this wasn't compulsion, it was something else entirely; something that she had been searching for her whole life but had never found. She'd thought that she loved both Tyler and Matt, but now the thought made her uneasy. It felt so utterly different with Klaus. When they were together, she felt at home. She felt safe, sheltered and loved. It was passion that she'd never experienced before now, and she allowed herself to revel in it.

Sheriff Forbes' snore broke Caroline's reverie, and she quickly retrieved a pen and a leaf of parchment from a mahogany drawer in the hallway. Hand hovering over the parchment, she suddenly wasn't sure what to write, words eluded her. What could she possibly say to make this easier? She followed her instinct and wrote naturally as her chirpy, talkative self.

_Mom,  
I'm leaving. I'm sorry that this is the way I'm saying goodbye, but I just can't explain in person. (I know, Caroline Forbes not being able to find the right words seems odd, right?) Anyway, I don't want you to worry. I know you will, but please try not to. I need this. I need to leave Mystic Falls for a while, even vampires can be overwhelmed, you know? I don't know how long I'll be, but I promise that I will come back as soon as I can. Tell Elena and Bonnie that I love them and I'm sorry for not explaining. It's just something that I need to do for myself. _

_I love you.  
Caroline. _

Caroline read over the letter and laughed quietly in spite of her-self, it was so obviously over-done, but she didn't want her mom to worry, and most of all, she didn't want her to search for her. She quickly sealed the letter into a white envelope addressed to the Sheriff, and left her home. She saw Klaus' face welcoming her and her face lit up in a grin automatically. He was her home now, and she didn't look back once.

In the moments that Caroline was inside her house, time seemed to stretch slowly for Klaus. He was afraid she'd change her mind, that she'd be reminded that this was her home, and he was a monster, an abomination. He still feared that she thought that of him, even after everything. It was exactly what his father had called him, and he expected that everybody else felt the same way. He longed for her to hurry, to see her face at that door, returning to him. He couldn't measure the happiness that overcame him whenever he was with Caroline. Without her, he was simply a subdued, lifeless soul, relying on his hybrids to accompany him. But then she'd come. She'd shot across his sky like a comet, brightening up his world and awakening him in ways that he'd never imagined. Ways that he never even knew existed. Where he resembled a simple drop of water, she was a drop of the richest fermented wine.  
Caroline's face appeared in the doorway, and she strode over to him determinedly, smiling devilishly. He took her in his arms, and they left Mystic Falls without a second glance.

* * *

Caroline woke with a start the next morning; she'd thought that the whole night had been a dream, until her eyes darted towards the large, Victorian style window. Long, white curtains billowed from the open window, and she felt the fresh air breeze over her face. She'd never felt anything quite so refreshing. She looked around the room confusedly, where was she? The room was sky blue, with white furniture. It was decorated with paintings and sculptures, and Caroline suspected that it belonged to Klaus.

"_Klaus?" _She muttered; she knew he'd hear her. Nothing happened, however.

Caroline lifted herself from the large, king-size bed and sauntered over to the window. Her breath was stolen away from her as she looked out onto yards and yards of the most beautiful canal she had ever seen, not that there was much to choose from. She'd never really been anywhere. This truly was genuine beauty, she thought contentedly to herself. She stood there serenely for some time, observing the ripple of the clear, blue water flowing calmly.

She suddenly felt a presence close behind her and turned sharply on the spot. Klaus stood there, not 10 centimetres away from her face. She exhaled in relief.  
_"There you are." _She whispered, her eyes bright with exultation.  
_"Morning, love." _He smiled, his fingers reaching up to brush a strand of hair from her face. His warm breath tickled her ear as he whispered sweetly; _"Welcome to Rome."_

* * *

_I was going to write a longer chapter, but I felt that I had to write the decision to leave Rome from Caroline and Klaus' point of view as well. New chapter will hopefully be up tomorrow :)_


	9. Chapter 9

In Rome, the dimming sunset glowed down on Klaus as approached the local hospital. He'd been so entirely consumed by Caroline's presence that he'd almost forgotten that he was a hybrid. He'd remembered what it was like to be human again. However, both Caroline and Klaus had been so enveloped in marvelling each other that they'd resisted feeding for an entire day. They could resist no longer. Klaus strode down the almost too clean, white corridor with a slight air of over-confidence. A petite woman stood relaxingly near the doorway, fumbling with a large pile of folders. He moved past her so quickly that it was impossible for the human eye to notice. He sensed that she did, however, feel fear. Humans had a natural instinct for danger. Their body reacted instinctively to possible threat. The woman turned on the spot slowly, her eyes darting around the corridor. It was growing darker and darker outside, and she was alone. Fear coursed through her veins.

"_Hello?" _She yelled, her voice echoing off the walls of the long, empty corridor. _"Is anybody there?" _

Luckily for the woman, Klaus was in an extremely tolerable mood of late, and he didn't necessarily wish to harm her. Still; when the woman turned Klaus found him-self instinctively moving to stand directly behind her, so that their bodies were almost touching. He noticed the woman's eyes widen startlingly, and her rigid pose relax slightly.

"_Sorry, didn't mean to scare you." _Klaus smiled charmingly.  
_"That's ok." _She exhaled with relief. _"What are you doing in the hospital at this time?"_  
Klaus ignored this stern question; he could do without a telling off. _"What's your name?"  
"My name? Jade." _She muttered, _"but you still haven't answered my question."_  
_"Well, Jade." _He began, brushing her hair from her face. _"You are my internal struggle. I'm conflicted. I don't want to hurt you, because of her. And yet…" _He paused, wonderingly, and flashed a brilliant, false smile at her.  
Confusion washed over Jade's face, her heart beating wildly. Klaus assumed that until now, she had been torn between finding him a handsome, charming stranger or a risk of danger. Now, her decision was clearly visible in her features. As the reality of the danger finally caught up with her, horror shone through her eyes. _"Please don't." _She whispered.

Humans, Klaus thought. They were so innocent and naïve. Klaus wished to feed on her, more than he'd ever desired to feed on a human before, but he resisted the urge. Caroline had learnt not to kill, and for her, he'd attempt to do the same. He wanted to be worthy of her.

Coming to a decision quickly, Klaus focused his eyes on Jade's, willing her mind to succumb to his. _"I was never here. This conversation never happened." _He muttered, turning away.

"_You were never here." _He heard her voice echo robotically, and he continued to the exit of the hospital, blood bags in hand. He had overcome the temptation; he thought exultantly, pride washing over him in waves. He'd give up anything to obtain Caroline's love.

* * *

Caroline sat serenely on the vintage-style bench outside Klaus' villa. He'd informed her earlier today that he had owned it for years, and she wasn't as such surprised by the information. She did, however, find it difficult to imagine Klaus the hybrid spontaneously taking off to enjoy a relaxing vacation in Rome. She giggled to herself at the thought.

"_What's so funny?" _Klaus asked quietly, appearing in the doorway to the balcony. She hadn't even noticed his arrival, but she certainly noticed him now. He looked so stunningly handsome that it cast her mute. The moon lit him in a dim silhouette, and yet his eyes shone out brilliantly. His sharp cheekbones were emphasised even more so in the moonlight as he approached her; and his hair appeared so soft and longing to have hands run through it. He certainly was something else, Caroline thought. He was dressed in dark colours; soft black jeans, black boots, black suede jacket and a grey vest. The necklaces that he always wore lay still at his chest. She'd wondered about those necklaces and their origin, but had been too cowardly to question him.

Caroline shook herself out of her reverie to find Klaus gazing at her peculiarly.  
_"Lost for words?" _He asked; _"that's not like you, Caroline." _He grinned at her devilishly.  
_"Yeah, well, you surprised me." _She replied, not caring to admit that she had been admiring his appearance for the past 5 minutes. _"Where have you been?" _  
Klaus smirked, and Caroline suspected that he saw right through her lie. Of course he did, she thought, she was the worst liar imaginable. Klaus raised his right hand up until it was level with her face. Caroline's gaze transfixed itself on the two bags. She hadn't realised how violently hungry she'd been.  
_"Getting these" _Klaus replied. _"Join me for a drink, love?" _He gestured inside the villa.  
Caroline stood and smoothed out her clothes. She had changed into a long, white, strapless dress, and she heard Klaus' sharp intake of breath when she'd stood. Coyly, she turned to face him, to calculate his reaction. He was gazing at her with pure admiration.  
_"You are beautiful." _He whispered huskily. If she was a human, she would have flushed uncontrollably. Instead, she smiled up at him and took his free hand in her right, interlocking their fingers in a twist, and led him inside the villa.

The vampire and the hybrid were silent as they drank deeply, revelling in the satisfaction of fresh blood energising their bodies. Caroline drank until every drop was gone, and sighed happily. A feeling of contentedness flowed through her, along with a sudden rush of emotion towards Klaus. He had brought her here, he had provided for her, and he made her shine. Realisation hit her like a strike of lightning. She genuinely loved him. The feelings had come to her so suddenly that she didn't even have time to process them before the words had escaped her soft, red lips. Klaus dropped the blood bag to the tiled flooring of the kitchen, where it burst and leaked silky looking red liquid until a pool surrounded him.

Klaus' mind was lost in Caroline's passionate words. He'd heard the _"Klaus, I love you" _uttered from Caroline's sculpted mouth, and dropped his dinner in shock. _She loved him. _Why were those words such a shock to him? He'd sensed that she did from the way she'd watched him, and yet to hear the words as a sentence, as a speech of admittance; lit him up. Nobody had ever told him that they loved him, nor cared for him. To hear his own feelings requited and echoed back to him meant more than anything that had occurred in his life before now. He wasn't an abomination, he was loved. He mattered.

Before Caroline could even blink, Klaus had crossed the room in one large stride, and she was in his arms. His mouth found hers and he kissed her passionately, ferociously. His love for Caroline was reflected in his kiss; intense, desperate and irrevocable. She returned his passion equally. Until now she had simply kissed him back. Now, however, she truly responded to him. Their minds glowed as one as they caressed and embraced one another. There was no going back from this, Caroline realised, and she found that she was okay with it. Klaus meant everything to her. She stroked his back gently, and pulled him closer to her. She wanted no distance at all between them. Not now, not ever.

Klaus was experiencing feelings that he'd never once experienced as a vampire or a human. He'd loved as a human, of course, but never had he felt these intensely heightened feelings of pure love that vampires felt. Not until now, at least. He'd never understood the utmost desperation and passion that Stefan had felt towards Elena. He'd never empathised. He'd often wondered why Stefan was willing to die for Elena, to do whatever it took to protect her. He realised this, for he felt the same way towards Caroline. He knew he could never leave her in harm's way. He would do everything in his power to protect the girl, even if that meant dying for her. He was lost in the rush of these intense feelings, his hands stroking Caroline's hair gently. After what seemed like a lifetime, Klaus reluctantly retrieved himself from their entanglement and led her back upstairs to the beautiful bedroom of the villa. It was there that the dark of the night consumed them, and they succumbed to it gladly.

* * *

"_He's with Caroline." _Rebekah repeated to Elijah, whose eyes had narrowed in wonder. Nicklaus didn't _love_, Elijah thought. He had once, but since he became a vampire, Nicklaus only cared about his self and his self alone. Nobody had mattered to him. Even his family, whom he claimed to love, had been stabbed with a dagger as punishment for disappointing him. Elijah could not fathom how that very same man, that very same monster was capable of feeling love. Maybe he didn't know him as well as he'd thought.

"_Do you know where?" _Elijah replied, his voice quavering slightly. He was still shocked.

"_No, but you know Nick. He will have thought of something extravagant." _Rebekah scoffed. Elijah sensed that she was envious of the attention Nicklaus was giving Caroline. In the years that had preceded this, Rebekah had always claimed every ounce of her older brother's attention, and to have that stolen from her by none other than the girl who's life she envied initially, must be a horrid awakening for Rebekah.

_"So, we leave him. He's out of our lives; it's what we all wanted. Where is the problem?" _Elijah muttered, folding his hands into the soft, black fabric of his trouser pockets.

Rebekah appeared scandalized. _"The problem is that Nick has never left me before. Temporarily killed me, yes, but he's never abandoned me. That tramp is not going to come in here and ruin our family." _She yelled abhorrently.

There really was no controlling Rebekah's temper or envy, Elijah smirked to himself.

* * *

Caroline woke early the next morning, stretching in the bright sunlight. Her head rested against Klaus' bare chest, and his arm was wrapped around her protectively. She couldn't prevent the smile from spreading across her face widely. This was where she belonged.

* * *

**_Joseph Morgan aka Klaus just retweeted me on Twitter. Dying right now. _**

**New chapter will be along soon :)**


	10. Chapter 10

Caroline and Klaus remained buried amongst the white, satin sheets for the majority of the day. They have surfaced once, and only once, to succumb to the yearning that dominates them; the blood. Other than that short, the large bed has been their home. Caroline curled up to Klaus, softly brushing her fingers up and down his arm affectionately.  
_"I love you." _She whispered gently, knowing it will wake him. The effect was immediate; Klaus' eyelids fluttered open and his honey coloured eyes met hers with fierce intent. He gazed at her admiringly for a moment, before chuckling and averting his eyes.  
_"What's so funny?" _she asked quietly, slightly dumbstruck by his reaction.  
_"If you say that once more, I may have to force you to stay here forever." _He smiled cheekily, reaching for her hand. Klaus knew that Caroline would, at one point sooner or later, wish to return to Mystic Falls. He could only hope that she chooses the latter. He watched her eyebrows furrow confusedly. Sweet, yet ferocious Caroline, always so conflicted.  
_"You don't have to force me to do anything." _She whispered. _"I love you."  
_Klaus forgot any intention of abduction at her words, and sighed; _"I love you, too."  
_Caroline grinned flirtatiously. He really does appreciate every single ounce of love he receives, she thought sadly.

Two hours later, Caroline and Klaus remain in an entanglement together. His arms wrapped around her protectively as he whispered old, traditional stories into her ear.  
_"I want to ask you something." _Caroline suddenly asked, tilting her head up to watch him.  
_"Go ahead, love." _He mumbled, running his fingers through her silky hair, causing Caroline to readjust her concentration for a moment or two. She hesitated on her very first word.  
_"El-Elena told me about the girl you and Elijah both loved. Was it true?" _She whispered almost inaudibly to a human's ear. Klaus, however, heard her perfectly clear. He stiffened.  
_"Yes, it's true." _Klaus sighed sadly; he didn't want to bring up memories of the past. He merely wanted to exist in the here and now, with Caroline. Still, she had a right to know.  
_"And your mother killed her." _Caroline stated; it wasn't a question.  
Klaus paused for a moment, reliving the moment he had realised it was Tatia's blood that he had consumed in the ritual to turn him into a vampire. How he'd despised his mother with this most venomous of betrayals, and had never really forgiven it.  
_"Also true." _Klaus muttered after some thought, barely containing the sudden bitterness in his voice. Caroline noticed it immediately and swiftly attempts to backtrack.  
_"I'm sorry, I shouldn't have asked." _She murmured, risking a quick glance at his face. The hurt there is unhidden and unmasked; he is laying it out entirely for her to see. She watched him wonderingly.

_"No, you have a right to know." _He smiles sincerely, reassuringly. _"I did love Tatia, yes, as much as I thought I could love another person. I had no idea…" _He paused, willing Caroline to read between the lines. She felt her lips involuntary curve into a smile.  
He smiled earnestly; _"Anyway, Tatia and I… we were very different. As a human, I was disappointed and hurt easily. I guess I was also proud. I didn't like to be made a fool of." _  
Caroline laughed suddenly, interrupting his story. Klaus' eyes met hers questionably.  
_"I'm sorry" _she laughed, _"but you say 'as a human', as though those qualities disappeared when you became a vampire."  
_He ruffled her hair slightly; _"Yes well… I had those qualities before I became a vampire too, then. I had no tolerance. And Tatia, she liked to challenge me. Not in a positive way, like you do, but she agonised me and in the end, forced me to lose what was most important to me." _He whispered. He decided to leave out the part where Elijah and he had fought brutally.  
_"Your family." _Caroline stated once again, not a question. Euphoria fills Klaus; Caroline genuinely desired to know about him, his life, his past. He was still adjusting to it.  
_"Yes, my family." _Klaus assented quietly, lost in the memories. At the time, he was sure he was in love with Tatia. He'd thought that being so "in love" had caused him to willingly fight with Elijah. Now he knew the truth. She was simply teasing both him and his brother; he'd had a choice to say no, to stop her from tearing their family apart. They had reconciled many a time over the centuries, but still there lay untouched hostility, anger and betrayal that neither one of them had truly attempted to heal.

Caroline's voice interrupted his reverie; _"She sounds like Katherine." _Klaus laughed harshly at the irony. It was entirely plausible. Katerina, Klaus thought, Elijah had cared for her, too. Klaus, however, had learned his lesson by that point. Anything associated with the lineage of the doppelgangers he would not care for; he would not fall into such weakness once again. Unfortunately, Elijah was struck with two failed attempts before he realised the same thing. Now, the allure of the doppelganger falls into the Salvatore brother's hands.  
Klaus shook himself from his lost thoughts, and reached down to gently press his lips to Caroline's. _"She was worse." _He replied sometime afterwards.

Klaus was grateful that Caroline asked no more questions. He didn't care to relive the memories of his human life. After all, it hadn't exactly been a happy time. Remorse threatened to cripple him lately, and he realised that under Caroline's influence he was turning into a better person, or at least as good as a vampire could be. There was also a part of him, a dark, stirring deep inside him, that longed to make Caroline his partner. The two of them together could have everything they ever wanted. They'd be deadly. This thought excited him, but he knew that Caroline was a pure person, and so shut the thoughts aside. As long as she walked this Earth, he would do anything she asked and wished of him. It was too late for both of them now; their feelings were entirely beyond their own control.  
Suddenly, Caroline sat up erectly in the bed, her face alight with an idea. _"Draw me." _She ordered excitedly. _"I've only ever seen the finished product." _She smiled at him, her face alight with an exhilarant expression. He could never refuse such beauty.

Caroline inspected Klaus as he worked. His rough, large hands seemed to appear to soften somehow as he sketched. It was difficult to believe that those hands, those same hands, had killed so many innocent people. Caroline tried to swallow through the lump in her throat. Klaus' eyes darted from the leaf of parchment to her face and back again. She'd never seen such a passionate concentration so visible in his honey eyes, clearly distinguishable from any of his other looks. He took this very seriously, she surmised. Caroline's hands shook slightly with every intense gaze he gave her. He was staring at her, singling every one of her features out one by one as he traced them intricately onto the parchment. His hands worked endlessly; and yet effortlessly. He was a natural. After some time, Klaus stopped sketching and gazed down at his work. He was inspecting it, if it was nothing but perfect then he wouldn't even think of showing it to Caroline. Finally, holding his breath, Klaus outstretched and flipped over the leaf of parchment, revealing his portrait to Caroline. His eyes delved into hers as he tried to decipher her reaction. Her eyes had taken on a slightly glazed look and her perfect, rosy lips were pouted slightly as she gasped. It was nothing like anything she'd ever seen. He'd transformed her into something wonderful, taking care to sketch even her imperfections. He was an honest artist. Somehow seeing Klaus sketch made her fall even deeper in love with him.

"_Klaus, it's beautiful. You've made me beautiful." _She whispered, marvelled.

A charming smile played around his lips as he whispered huskily; _"No Caroline, you've made my work beautiful." _He leant forward slowly and took her outstretched hand in his, kissing it gently, lingeringly.

"_I am eternally yours." _


	11. Chapter 11

Klaus and Caroline strolled along the old, cobbled side street of the canal. Rome had been deliciously generous to them so far, and there was a small part of Caroline that didn't want to leave. It had been a week since they'd arrived already, and Caroline was certain that her friends back in Mystic Falls had put two and two together by now. They were smart, Damon in particular. He'd already known Klaus' weakness for Caroline, although he may not have guessed Caroline's requite. Caroline had left in the hope that it would keep her friends safe, and that meant them not following her out here. She was certain that Elena would have had Bonnie do a locator spell by now. She lowered her eyes to glance at hers and Klaus' interlocked hands below. Of course she'd known that her and Klaus had had an unexplainable attraction towards each other before they'd come to Rome, and she'd gone along with it in the hope that he'd leave her friends alone. What she didn't expect was to fall in love, but she had. She was in love with Klaus, and there was no use denying it or covering it up with pretence any longer.

Caroline shook herself out of her reverie to find Klaus gazing at her curiously. She had been staring intensely at their joint hands, lost in thought.  
_"What are you thinking about, love?" _He asked. Whenever he spoke to her, Caroline felt a stir in her abdomen, an urgency to respond to Klaus' needs. She knew that this wasn't compulsion; Klaus wouldn't take away her choice, not now. These were her own feelings.  
_"I was just thinking that we've been here a while…" _Caroline began.  
Klaus sighed solemnly, diverting his eyes from her face. _"You want to go home." _He stated; it wasn't a question.  
Caroline gave a short, humourless laugh. _"I was going to say that we should move on from here. You know your family is probably tracking us, right?"_  
Klaus' eyebrows furrowed suddenly, and his eyes widened in realisation. Of course his family would follow him, why hadn't he thought of that? He'd expected them to be happy that he was gone, but Rebekah would not settle knowing that he'd left her. Especially once she realised that he'd left her to be with Caroline, the one person she envied most.

"_You're right. If they're not here yet, they will be soon." _He paused thoughtfully; _"Where do you want to go, sweetheart?" _Joy was clear in his features, and Caroline realised with a start that Klaus hadn't expected her to want to return to Mystic Falls. But surely he had to realise that one day soon she'd have to return? After all, it was her home. Her life was still there, waiting for her.

"_There are so many places to choose from, give me a hint. After all, you're the one who's had a thousand years to explore them, right?" _She laughed forcefully. Klaus couldn't quite put into words the way he felt when he observed Caroline laugh. It was beauty that he'd never seen in his thousand years of life, it was entirely incomparable to anything he'd ever experienced. She laughed carelessly, and it lit her up from the inside out. He marvelled at it.

Klaus thought intently. He knew that he didn't want to take Caroline just anywhere, and as he watched her, he noticed a solemnity in her features; a sadness that he'd been evading because he didn't wish to accept it. She wanted to go home. He sighed deeply, his thoughts and feelings conflicting with one another. Klaus knew that as soon as they set foot back in Mystic Falls, Caroline would be preoccupied with the drama that settled there. Her friends wouldn't accept their relationship, but would they still try to kill Klaus? He couldn't decide. He once simply saw everyone as a threat, but now? Now he had to accept that humans had more to them than meets the eye. Still, he must remember to not underestimate any of them.

"_You want to go home." _Klaus repeated, meeting her eyes forcefully this time. He needed to hear her say it.

Caroline raised her watery eyes to meet his. She couldn't keep up the pretence any longer; her eyes reflected her inner pain. _"Yes" _she whispered, almost inaudibly, retrieving her hand from his. _"But not because I don't want to be here with you. My family are there, Klaus, and I just walked away from them. It's not me; this can't be me." _She diverted her eyes from him cautiously.

Klaus surprised her by remaining calm and collected. _"I understand."_ He replied, taking her hand gently in his once more. Their fingers interlocked immediately, finding themselves at home with one another.  
_"You do?" _Caroline whispered optimistically. Maybe this could work after all. She had the sudden determination to explain to her friends the way she felt about Klaus, she would make them understand. They'd have to, and they would. The resolve clicked in her mind, and a fierce determination pronounced itself visibly in her eyes.

Klaus appeared to notice this change. _"I hope they understand, for you. But how can they, Caroline? After all I've done?" _His face saddened with a sudden remorse, a remorse that almost made Caroline die inside. After all that had happened, she knew that he was ultimately _good. _It was this goodness that made her resolve strengthen even more so. She would make sure he was accepted; otherwise it would all just be giving up. And she knew now that she could never give him up, he'd buried himself under her skin.

"_They will. It might take some time, a long time, but they will. I'm their family, too." _Caroline remarked, all the while assessing Klaus' facial expressions. She knew that he thought her naïve, but his love for her would force him to at least try things her way. He was humouring her. She would let him do just that, and soon enough he would see the depths humanity could reach, specifically forgiveness.

Klaus and Caroline remained quiet thereafter, in silent agreement with one another. They would return to Mystic Falls, and try their best to start a life together. Caroline was a strong, determined creature, and Klaus had enough faith in her to believe that she could at least explain to her friends. Whether they would understand was an entire different matter, particularly with Damon and Stefan's influence lurking around the town. Klaus shook it out of his mind for now, and began to focus on one of the last moments he would spend with Caroline in utter peace. He revelled in that realisation for some time.

Taking her soft hand, Klaus led Caroline around Rome's Trevi Fountain. Caroline's sundress fluttered in the cool breeze, and Klaus appreciated the way in which the folds lingered against her bronze skin, caressing it with its gentleness. He found that he was hungry in an entirely different way, a way he was still adjusting to. The pair strolled hand in hand, silently admiring each other, until they were enveloped in the silhouettes of the orange sunset.


	12. Chapter 12

Caroline decided that she was really beginning to admire air travelling; the feeling of gliding when in actual reality speeding was entirely incomparable to driving. She stole a glance at her companion. He was gazing outside the window absent-mindedly. Both she and Klaus had been pretty much silent throughout the journey back to Mystic Falls, occasionally glancing at one another nervously. She couldn't imagine how Klaus felt, nor could she be sure of their core. Of course she knew that he loved her, but would that love be enough for him to accept her friends, as well? Caroline prayed so, because it would always be her friends and family first. Hadn't she proven that by leaving Mystic Falls with the one thing that threatened to tear her family apart?

"_Passengers, we are now entering the United States." _The commanding voice of the pilot echoed through the speakers. _Great, _Caroline thought. The closer they got to America, the more she felt the fluttering wings of the butterflies in her stomach.

Klaus took her hand in his; raising it to meet his soft, wet lips. _"It will be okay." _He muttered simply. Caroline realised that the simplicity of those words reassured her somewhat. Of course it would be okay, and she suddenly remembered her resolve from the previous day.

Caroline Forbes was not a perfect person; in fact, she was much more than less than perfect. She was bossy, sometimes tactless, always blunt and her biggest weakness was her naivety. She strived to look for the good in everybody, including vampires. In her mind, being a monster by nature didn't _make _someone a bad person, it was their choices that mattered. Klaus had made extremely bad choices, but he'd shown remorse. Caroline respected that.

"_I know." _Caroline whispered some time later, after realising she had failed to reply. Klaus cocked an eyebrow up at her amusedly. _"Do you think you can control it?" _She asked; the words she'd so desperately been dying to voice erupting from her rosy lips.

Confusion washed over Klaus' features; _"control what, exactly?" _He asked, interlocking their pale fingers with one another.

Caroline lowered her eyes ashamedly, she didn't want to doubt him, but she needed to know. _"Your hatred for them, your fear of disappointment, your pride…" _She murmured.

Klaus exhaled deeply, taking Caroline's face in his strong hands. _"Caroline, for you I will let all of that go for all eternity. None of that matters any more. I don't know why I ever let it." _

He wiped a lone, betraying tear from her cheek and raised it to his lips. Caroline watched from underneath her heavy eyelashes confusedly. Now it seemed that it was her turn to raise a questioning eyebrow.

"_A person's tears can tell you a lot about them." _He answered her unspoken question. Before she could form a response, Klaus continued; _"I'm sensing that's not all that was troubling you." _

Caroline felt her cheeks lift in a soft smile. He _got _her. It was hard to believe how short a time it had taken for them to know each other, and understand one another. It was almost as though fate had played a part.

Caroline shook herself from her dreamy reverie. _"No, that wasn't all. Klaus, what happens if it doesn't work out?" _

He gazed at her bemusedly, his eyes alight with expectation.

"_What happens if, and I'm not saying that it will, but what happens if they don't accept you? What will you do then?" _Caroline continued bluntly.

A mixture of emotions washed over Klaus' face, and Caroline observed them all. What would he do? He couldn't _force _them to accept him, through compulsion nor threat; that just wasn't a risk he was willing to take with Caroline. And yet Klaus knew, almost instinctively, that Caroline would choose her friends over him. She hadn't spoken the words aloud, but he knew that if he wasn't accepted, it would be their goodbye. Embarrassingly, Klaus felt anger rise in him at the mere thought. Caroline's presence made his negative qualities disperse, and Klaus was afraid of what he might become if he were to lose her. What he surely _would _become.

Klaus recomposed himself almost immediately. _"I won't let it happen." _He promised.

Caroline felt fear wash over her, and she knew that Klaus could see it too, for he bent forward to wrap his large arms around her.

"_No Caroline, I wouldn't force them to do anything, I promise. All I mean is that I won't give up, not on anything that may risk giving you up, sweetheart." _He kissed the top of her golden head lovingly.

The pair remained silent for the duration of the journey, silently embracing one another until they knew that they had no choice but to part ways. Even though it was only for a brief period, Caroline felt despair at the thought, but she had to carry out the plan.

* * *

Klaus strode through the large, heavy-wooded door of his mansion. He felt the strength of fight return to him, knowing that in Caroline's absence, he could use it to deal with his family. They meant nothing to her, after all.

"_Where the hell have you been?" _Rebekah thundered, appearing suddenly directly in front of him. _"And with that bitch? What has gotten into you, Nick?" _She yelled.

"_Give our brother a chance to explain his treacherous behaviour, Rebekah. He who drives a stake through our hearts at the mere mention of us leaving his side must have a perfectly good explanation for abandoning us." _Elijah spoke smoothly, but Klaus recognised the threat and hurt beneath that perfectly calm sounding voice.

Rebekah opened her mouth to retort, before Elijah silenced her with a glare. The pair watched him expectantly, still as statues.

Klaus felt a million possible lies and excuses course through his mind, before he settled on the truth. If he was to be a new person, he had to start acting like one.

"_I love her." _He whispered hoarsely, not attempting to hide the threat in his voice. They would be fools to try and hurt Caroline now, and he had to make certain that they knew it.

Elijah turned his face to Rebekah and joy seared across his face. So fast that Klaus wasn't sure he had witnessed it. She raised her eyebrow in return, smirking.

"_We put two and two together, brother." _Rebekah murmured, shrugging her shoulders. _"We just wanted to hear you admit it, that's all." _She stated indifferently.

Klaus was no fool, he _knew _his siblings, and not one of them, _especially _not Rebekah, would accept his abandonment after all he had done to them. He was a hypocrite, and he knew it.

"_What are you two up to?" _He asked venomously, in a voice that echoed the unspoken words of _stay away from Caroline. _Klaus' mind drifted to the girl for an instant, and he suddenly found an irrevocable need to be with her deep inside of him.

While Klaus' mind was somewhat distracted for an instant, Rebekah struck. Klaus keeled over with the sheer force of the blow, flying backwards into a crouch. He recovered quickly, and poised for a return attack. Rebekah lounged against one of the many doorframes before him, her eyebrows raised.

"_You must have it bad, to let yourself get distracted like that, Nick." _Her chest heaved as she laughed bitterly. _"I'm not going to go near Caroline, don't worry. With that tramp distracted, I might finally have a chance to zone in on Matt." _

Klaus barely felt his feet move beneath him as he rushed at Rebekah. Nobody would call Caroline a tramp in front of him, especially not his little, jealous sister. He was preparing to strike a blow to her temple, when he was grabbed from behind by Elijah. Klaus laughed amusedly, his siblings were such fools to think they could beat him. He had been distracted when Rebekah struck at him, but he was fully prepared for battle now.

Klaus forced an elbow back into Elijah that broke a few of his ribs. Elijah fell back momentarily, and Klaus broke from his grasp. He pushed both Elijah and Rebekah away from him, and backed from the room. His need to be with Caroline outweighed his desire for vengeance. He'd finally found something that mattered more.

* * *

"_Let me get this straight" _Elena muttered sardonically, _"you went with Klaus willingly, just like that?" _She clicked her fingers, her features arranged into pure disbelief.

Caroline nodded determinedly, keeping her eyes fixed on the girl in front of hers. She wanted them to believe her, to accept it, and acting fearful wouldn't aid her in that.

"_Why would you do that, Caroline?" _Bonnie asked from the corner, although Caroline knew from her face that she already knew the answer. She'd been silent since Caroline had summoned them all to the school, and Caroline felt a burst of remorse inside her as she looked at her friend's face. She tried to imagine how she would feel, being them in this situation. Hurt, confused, and most of all, betrayed.

"_I love him." _She stated confidently. Elena stepped forward, her arms outstretched. Caroline thought she was going to hit her, but she simply enveloped her into a warm embrace.

"_He's compelled you, Caroline, oh god. How long ago did you stop drinking the vervain?" _Elena asked, watching the girl worriedly.

Caroline started, she should have expected this. _"I never stopped drinking vervain, Elena." _

Elena's eyebrows furrowed in bewilderment. _"But then… how?" _She asked, her mouth arranged in an 'o' shape.

"_She's telling the truth. She loves the bastard." _A deep voice boomed from the doorway, and Caroline recognised Damon's reproachful tone in the classroom. She looked at Elena accusingly.

"_I don't recall you being invited." _Caroline snapped, betrayal flowing through her wildly. She'd texted Bonnie and Elena to meet her so she could explain; specifically stating that she wanted it to be just the two of them.

"_And I don't recall you deciding to go on a honeymoon with the hybrid who put us all through hell." _Damon yelled accusingly. This was exactly the reason why Caroline had wanted to meet her friends in private. She didn't need Damon's sarcastic, accusing tone while she was trying to explain.

"_I had to tell him, Caroline." _Elena muttered, somewhat guiltily. _"When we realised that you and Klaus had both vanished, and then we get a text from you saying to meet you alone. Well, we didn't know what to expect." _She finished weakly.

"_It sure as hell wasn't this." _Damon stated angrily. His eyes seemed to delve deep into hers, as though they were trying to seek out any weakness. Caroline stood taller, and stared straight back at him defiantly.

"_Before you go and judge me, at least let me explain." _She exclaimed, looking around at them all, her friends. Just now, any previous hope of convincing them seemed entirely pointless, but she had to try.

"_I didn't go because I was in love with Klaus. I went with him to keep you guys safe." _She began quietly. _"I knew that he loved me already, and I'll admit that I had a connection with him. There was… something. I don't know what, exactly, but I couldn't fight it." _Caroline lowered her eyes for a moment, remembering the intensity of his gaze on the morning he'd come to her bedroom. How she'd felt as though she might fall into his eyes at any second.

Damon rolled his eyes; _"get on with it, blondie." _

Caroline shot him a reproachful look, but continued; _"I left with him because I knew that he would come. I knew that when we left, you would be safe. It was Klaus' presence here that was causing the problems, not his family. I knew that they would leave you alone, too." _

Bonnie was watching Caroline with such a judgmental intensity that it frightened Caroline, before she remembered the way that Bonnie had felt when she was reunited with her mom. She shot her an apologetic look, and felt tears threaten to break through her calm surface.

"_Okay…" _Elena murmured, but Caroline knew that she still didn't understand. _"So skip to the part about how exactly you fell in love with the bad guy." _

Caroline felt the heavy air of judgment and criticism enter her lungs, and she succumbed to it, tears rolling down her face. She couldn't compose herself, and absent-mindedly she wondered what on earth had happened to the Caroline with the fierce determination, the Caroline with the fight inside of her.

"_Exactly how you fell in love with Damon, I presume." _A new voice slurred from the doorway, and the comforting image of Klaus greeted Caroline's watery eyes. She was saved.

Just to clarify, this story ISN'T complete. New chapter coming soon :) 


	13. Chapter 13

There was pandemonium. The vampires in the room, aside from Caroline, bore their fangs in rage at the unwanted reunion with Klaus. Damon in particular was breathing raggedly, anger prominent in his features. Bonnie took a step back at the sight of Klaus, and Elena carefully stood slightly in front of her protectively.

Caroline took a step forwards, her hand instinctively finding itself towards Klaus'.

Their fingers interlocked desperately, and in Caroline's eyes shone a fierce determination. Klaus caught her eye and gave a tiny nod. They would accomplish this.

"What have you done to her, Klaus?" Elena snapped, her eyes raking the monstrous creature.

Klaus and Caroline looked at one another. They'd expected this question from the utmost beginning. They'd known that Caroline's friends would jump to believable conclusions such as Klaus compelling her, threatening her or someone she loved or even kidnapping her. What they didn't know was none of that was true in the slightest, and that the reality was simply Caroline and Klaus had fallen for one another as intensely as a thunderstorm.

"The only thing I've done is shown her my love. The rest was her." Klaus murmured. He felt odd in the presence of the people who only a few weeks previously he had wanted dead. He still didn't care for them, nor did he want the doppelganger's blood. Caroline was by far more important than an army of hybrids. That childish fantasy had simply been a projection of Klaus' inner loneliness and insecurities. He didn't need an army of comrades, he needed one woman, and she stood beside him, willing to fight as equally and deadly as an army.

Damon laughed humourlessly. "You expect us to believe that you've given up on your hundreds of years of scheming for _love_? I hope you don't think we're that gullible. I can believe that blondie here loves you, but you're not capable of loving anyone but your damn self."

"I don't expect you to understand or change your opinion of me right away." Klaus muttered ashamedly. He was comfortable being sincere with Caroline, but with previous enemies it made him slightly uneasy.

"Why should we believe a word you say?" Elena asked loudly, her eyes darting between the pair of star-crossed lovers.

"Because you're my _friends._" Caroline stated, raising her head to look each of them in the eye. Bonnie briskly lowered her head at her stare, confirming Caroline's suspicion that she would be the hardest to not only convince, but to understand, too.

"Because Stefan knows I'm capable of feelings." Klaus' voice vibrated through the room. Caroline turned to look at him confusedly, her eyebrows furrowing together.

"We were never friends!" Stefan yelled angrily, earning a reprising glare from Elena.

"We were, Stefan, we had a brotherhood. I regret erasing your memories of that, but you remember now. We had a bond." Klaus gazed at Stefan intensely, willing him to remember.

"He already has a brother." Damon spoke up, smirking. "Enough of this crap." Damon darted towards Klaus at the speed only a vampire could achieve, but Klaus was ready. He had Damon by the neck and threw him backwards before Damon could barely even raise an arm in defence.

Caroline and Klaus had privately agreed that it would be likely Damon or Stefan would attack Klaus, but Caroline had urged him not to hurt them. She only hoped that Klaus would stick to that agreement. Caroline looked on in sadness, with the familiar feeling of foreboding once more. She sometimes wondered whether she was out of her depth trying to change the bad guy, but she relied on her love of him to overpower that worry. So far it had.

"You're telling me this is what you love?" Elena's eyes flashed in anger. "He turned Tyler, Caroline, he risked his life!"

"Damon attacked Klaus just now, not the other way around, Elena." Caroline's voice took on a mature tone. "And I know he did, but I can't help the way I feel."

Elena fell silent, casting Stefan a glance. She always felt uncomfortable if somebody hinted towards her feelings for Damon in front of Stefan.

"I can't stand here and listen to this, he killed Jenna, Caroline!" Elena cried, her eyes glistening with tears that threatened to fall.

"Think of what Stefan and Damon have done in their past Elena and then tell me that people aren't capable of change." Caroline snapped, she was getting sick of the hypocrisy.

"I'm sorry… I just can't." Elena muttered, fiddling with her hair as she stormed from the room loudly.

Stefan strode up to stand in front of the unusually silent Klaus. He raised his finger to point at him threateningly.

"You want us to believe that you're capable of change?" He asked, and Klaus nodded in assent. "Then prove it."

With that, Stefan followed in Elena's wake. Caroline felt a smile flicker on her face; she knew that of any of her friends, it would be Stefan who would give Klaus the tiniest hint of a chance. He knew Klaus' nature, and with that came a need to prove himself. Stefan recognised that.

"Or don't, whatever." Damon voiced coolly, following Stefan and Elena from the room.

Klaus observed Caroline confusedly, and she realised that she was still smiling. She shook her head slightly to signal that she would tell him later, when she noticed Bonnie take a step towards her.

"Is this for real, Caroline?" She asked, frowning.

"More real than anything" Caroline nodded rapidly. Bonnie lowered her eyes sadly. "Bonnie?"

Caroline was shocked to see tears form in Bonnie's hazel eyes. She'd expected Bonnie to be judgemental, but sad? That was what she'd anticipated from Elena.

"I just wish you guys would stop falling in love with the bad guys." She murmured, and stalked from the classroom, the echo of her heels clicking along the linoleum floor.

Back at Caroline's house, she sat on her comfortable king size bed besides Klaus. It was sunset, and the dimming light shone on Klaus beautifully. His skin almost glowed and his soft dark blonde hair looked as though it was longing to have hands run through it.

Caroline forced herself to stop admiring him, this wasn't the time.

"So… that went well." Klaus muttered, looking up at her through smouldering eyes.

"They'll come around." Caroline replied, unconvincingly.

Klaus gave a short laugh. "Will they?"

Caroline looked at him interestedly. His tone was light and conversational, but Caroline could sense his hurt and feeling of rejection just below the surface of that hard exterior. She felt remorse at the pain she had put him through.

"Of course they will, when they see how happy you make me." Caroline whispered, and Klaus raised his head at the tone of her voice.

Caroline leaned forward to touch her lips to Klaus' just for a moment. She felt her lips tingle at their reunion with Klaus', and she realised too late that she couldn't pull away. Klaus' lips met hers again with a passionate forcefulness.

Caroline raised her arms to run her long fingers through that beautiful, wavy blonde hair, pulling Klaus even closer towards her in the process. Time seemed to stand still as their lips found each other time and time again. The excitement reminded Caroline of their first kiss all over again.

Caroline felt her self-control splinter, and tearing herself away from his gentle lips, she whisked Klaus' shirt from him in one swift motion. He returned the favour almost instantly, hurrying to meet her lips once more.

The door to Caroline's first floor bedroom swung open suddenly, making Caroline jump. She'd been so entwined with her kiss with Klaus that she hadn't even heard her intruder approaching. She pulled the bed sheets around her top half in a vain attempt at modesty.

Tyler Lockwood stood framed in the dark doorway, obvious rage pulsating from him.

"So, it's true." His fangs pointed threateningly, and Caroline found that she knew what was going to happen before it had even began.


End file.
